New eateries coming soon to airport

The McDonald's restaurants at JWA are being remodeled. With the Gate 12 McDonald's reopened, the McDonald's at Gate 5 is now closed temporarily. It will reopen in August. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Slide show updated 9/27 with revised dates for new food openings at the airport.

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The first of several new food vendors to enter a revamped food court at John Wayne Airport has opened with bigger terminal changes expected in the coming weeks, airport officials said.

Vino Volo, which operates more than a dozen wine bars in 10 domestic airports, has opened in Terminal B. The shop sells wines from around the world by the glass or bottle, offers wine tastings and sells gourmet foods. Located at Gate 9, it is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Why open so early? All food vendors at the airport are required to serve breakfast.)

Vino Volo is one of a string of new dining options coming to the airport as part of a multimillion-dollar terminal expansion at John Wayne. In fall 2010 and early 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved plans that call for several locally based food chains to open at three terminals, including Ruby's Diner, Ruby's Shake Shack, Javi's (tied to Javier's in Newport Beach and Irvine), Zov's Bakery & Café, Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs and Hobie Sand Bar. The latter is named after surfing industry legend Hobie Alter.

Anaheim Ducks Breakaway Bar & Grill and a seasonal foods eatery by the Laguna Culinary Institute will also open at the airport.

As construction continues at the airport, travelers will see some food changes in the coming weeks -- including a minor change for Starbucks.

Two Starbucks cafes are slated to relocate soon to new spots near their locations at Gates 5 and 12. The cafes will move across the terminal walkway into the gate seating area. The third Starbucks, located next to the Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge, will be relocated to Terminal C when the new terminal opens in November, airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

The two McDonald's restaurants in Terminals A and B will also undergo a facelift.

The restaurants, which were almost eliminated from the food plan, will expand into nearby bar spaces. Gibson Guitar Lounge and Sports Page Pub are going away. Other national and regional brands coming to the airport include California Pizza Kitchen, Carl's Jr., Pinkberry and Pei Wei. CPK will occupy one of the old Starbucks spaces. (View JWA Food Gallery Images)

Once the airport expansion is complete in late 2011, the food and restaurant area will increase from roughly 15,000 square feet to nearly 27,000 square feet. Revenue generated from the airport's primary food and beverage vendor represents about 2.3 percent of airport's total revenue.Ã¯Â¿Â½ Terminal C is expected to debut in November. However, upgrades to restaurants in Terminal A and B are not expected to be complete until 2012.

The McDonald's restaurants at JWA are being remodeled. With the Gate 12 McDonald's reopened, the McDonald's at Gate 5 is now closed temporarily. It will reopen in August. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Carl's Jr. opened its first location at the airport. PHOTO COURTESY OF JWA
Hobie Sand Bar is named after the surfing icon. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Zov's, Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs and Pei Wei opened at the Marketplace food court in late 2012. Once the airport expansion is complete, the food and restaurant area will increase from roughly 15,000 square feet to nearly 27,000 square feet. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, PHOTO COURTESY HMS HOST
The Anaheim Ducks-themed bar displays team memorabilia. Some menu items include: Spicy Wings, Angus Beef Burger, Turkey Club Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries, Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla, Chilaquiles, Shrimp Tacos. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, PHOTO COURTESY HMS HOST
Concession vendor HMS Host International was awarded a 10-year contract at John Wayne Airport. The company plans to revamp the airport's restaurant lineup. New eateries include adding a Ruby's Diner and Ruby's Grab ‘n Go (shown) to terminals A and B. The Ruby's Diner will have a bar. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, PHOTOS COURTESY JWA
Javi's offers a condensed version of the menu favorites found at Javier's Cantina in Newport Beach and Irvine. The restaurant is located in the Marketplace food court near Terminal C. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, RENDERING COURTESY JWA
Zov's created a new flatbread pizza for its Terminal C airport food stand. The flatbread, shown, is available at Zov's bakery cafe in Tustin. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERFarmer's Market by Laguna Culinary will "bring travelers a marketplace concept that provides a fresh, healthy culinary fair, all seasonal and with products found within the Orange County region," food provider HMS Host International said. The restaurant, along with Ruby's Diner, will be built in the space occupied by Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, PHOTO COURTESY HMS
Ruby's Diner and the Laguna Culinary eatery will be built in the space occupied by Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge. The restaurants are slated to open in late summer 2012. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Fresh Market by Laguna Culinary Arts is slated to open in summer 2012. It will offer paninis, cheese plates and made to order sandwiches using seasonal produce and natural meats. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Irvine-based Ruby's Diner has retro diners with bars in airports at LAX (Terminal 6), Las Vegas, Houston (shown) and Newark, N.J. The new Ruby's Diner at John Wayne Airport could look similar to this bar in Houston's airport. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Two Starbucks locations at the airport have relocated to spaces closer to the seating areas at Gates 5 and 12. A third Starbucks is now open in Terminal C. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
La Tapenade Mediterranean Café is open in Terminal B, pre-security. It offers grab and go sandwiches and salads. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anaheim Ducks Breakaway Bar & Grill will offer an upscale bar and restaurant menu in a setting that pays homage to Orange County's hockey team. It will be located in the new Terminal C, with a view facing the runway. REPORTING BY NANCY LUNA, PHOTO COURTESY HMS HOST
Gibson Guitar Lounge and Wolfgang Puck to-go stand have closed in Terminal A. McDonald's is expanding into that space. When it reopens it will have a McCafe and more seating. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
I gobbled this turkey provolone wrap (really half of a wrap) from Ciao Gourmet Market because I was starving after our four-hour airport tour. (Price: $8.79) Reaction? Meh. This will not be my first choice for eats when the other restaurants open in the airport. I should have held out for a Zov's sandwich. Her takeout stand is open in pre-security, Terminal A. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
McDonald's in Terminal B closed in January for a remodel. The restaurant reopened in mid-May. NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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